Farmers across the country are becoming more and more aware of the need to sell themselves if they are to succeed in their businesses domestically and globally.
For Tasmanian farmers, we have already embarked on this awareness campaign but we are constantly reminded of the need to ensure our place in the economy is fully understood.
The National Farmers’ Federation and Meat and Livestock Australia have just announced that they will work together to expand the use of the “True Aussie” brand across a broader range of Australian agricultural products.
They want consumers here and across the world to be sure that what they are getting is genuinely Australian and that our brand means the produce is safe, reliable and of the highest quality.
The branding is being used at major trade shows in key export markets including China, Europe and the US and in consumer branding activities in-store in Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and many Middle Eastern markets.
From MLA’s point of view “True Aussie” is aimed at underpinning the quality and the clean, green and safe positioning of Australian beef and lamb.
From the TFGA’s point of view this is a really valuable exercise and one we fully support. However, we still have a lot to do to maintain community consciousness in Tasmania of the importance of locally-produced food and fibre to Tasmanians and the fact that our rural industries are of strategic importance to the future of the island’s economy.
In summary, we have to maintain public awareness of what we do and, just as importantly, what dire straits we would be in if Tasmanians were not to support farming.
In the past, some of us may have believed that farmers’ markets were a sideshow to the main industrial-scale activity in which our main commercial farms are involved. They are not. They are part of the patina of producing Tasmanian food. The purpose they serve for all of us is to raise awareness of the importance of backing local growers. These growers may be small scale but they are part of our industry, part of our branding; they help us to sell on the grander scale in the bigger domestic and global markets.
My hope is that more and more smaller farmers and hobby farmers will take the opportunity to participate in the various forums that the TFGA offers; become members; have their voice heard.
Our greatest allies are our supporters. These are people who understand what we do, what we strive to achieve, the legacy we aspire to for our children and grandchildren and who back us daily through the power of the purse.
We have to succeed domestically if we are to become competitive internationally.
My message to farmers is to take nothing for granted. Never lose the opportunity to shout your virtues from the rooftop. We have to remain uppermost in people’s minds if we to continue to make a great contribution to Tasmania’s future.
Sell yourselves.
TFGA president Wayne Johnston
